Question:
I am about to get divorced and want some idea of the usual custody and visitation arrangements that parents or courts make.
Answer:
Custody and visitation arrangements vary from family situation to family situation and can be tailor-made to maximize suitability. The parents can agree in advance on which of them the child/ren will live with and how much the other parent will see them and where. They can work out a personal package in the form of a written agreement, and ask the court to authorize it. Failing this, one, or both parents, will sue for custody, and the court will decide.
As a general rule, one parent will get sole custody and the other parent will get visitation rights (also known as 'contact' or 'access'), whatever the process. The parent with whom the child lives is known as the 'custodial parent' or 'custodian' and the other parent is known as the 'non-custodial parent'. Joint or mutual custody is the exception.
Usually, but not necessarily, mothers are awarded custody of younger children, if they are the sole or primary caregiver , and are normative, with adequate parenting ability and skills. This pattern usually carries on, as it is usually considered preferable for the parent who is primary caregiver to continue as custodian , at least until the minors are teenagers. The non-custodial parent (usually the father) will usually see the child once or twice during the week for a few hours each time, outside of the custodial parent's home, and every other weekend, usually including overnight, at the non-custodial parent's home. Festivals are usually alternated between parents so that one year a child will spend one festival with one parent and the next with the other one. Phone access is usually very liberal.
Sometimes, there are clear situations where the father, and not the mother, has been the de facto primary caregiver, or has clearly superior parenting ability and skills and availability. In such cases the father could have a good chance of winning custody should he apply for it, if the reports ordered by court also reflect this.
Often, within legal proceedings, a professional is appointed by the court to make recommendations regarding custody and visitation rights. The court can also delegate its powers to that professional to make decisions during the legal process, and even at the end of the case, and rule on disputes between the parents, rather than it having to deal with every problem, thus saving both time and money. Parents still retain the right to go to court if they the professional cannot resolve the issue to their satisfaction.